Improved method of lubricating journal-boxes



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH F. LIGHT, Ol WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVED METHOD OF LUBRICATING JOURNAL-BOXES.

To all whom fit may concern.-

Be it known that I, J. F. LIGHT, ofthe city and county of Worcester, andState of' Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Devices for Oiling Journal-Boxes and I do hereby declarethat the following is a full, clear, and exact description ot the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming apart of thisspecication.

The drawing represents a longitudinal scction of ajournal-box with myimprovements applied thereto.

Referring to the drawing, A represents the lower half ot' the box, and Bthe upper half.

O is the drip-pan cup, which in this instance is attached to the part Aby the tubular stem D, which has a screw-thread, a, cut on each end, thelower end ot' D screws into a hole in the projection bin cup O. Beforebeing screwed into the projection b a wick, c, is applied to its innersurface, as. indicated in the drawing, the top of the wick reachingquite or nearly to the lower surface, d, of the lower halt of thebearing A. Holes e c are made in the lower end ofthe stem D.

E represents the back ot' the box, which is connected with the lowerhalf, A, only.

ff are oil-holes in the cup B.

The operation is as follows: The journal rests and turns in the space F,and may be lubricated by turning oil into the holes ff, or by turning itinto the cup C. In the former case, if much oil should be applied itwould run out at the ends ofthe box and drop down into cup O, from whichit will be taken up by the wick c and carried up against thejournal-box, when it will be forced laterally each Way, and after havingWell lubricated the journal it will run or drop down from the ends ofthebearing into the cup O again, the operation continuing in the samemanner whenever the journal is in motion. The cup O may be firstpartially filledsay to line g-with oil or some proper lubricatingcompound, when it will be drawn or taken up the wick c to the journal,by which it will be forced out at each end, as above described.

It will be observed that the lubricating compound is well filtered eachtime beforeit reaches the journal, and consequently no dirt or grit isallowed to reach the journal with the lubricating compound. Hencejournals with my oiling device applied always wear even and smooth. Whenwick c becomes lled with dirt it may easily be removed to be cleaned ora new wick substituted.

In some cases I use tubes G, not connected with the cup C. The lowerends ofthese tubes project down nearly to the bottom ofthe cup, andmaybe notched, as seen at h h in the drawings. Tubes Gr are to besupplied with wicks c, and the operation of oiling the journal is thesame as described in reference to the wick in stem D.

The invention can be easily applied to old journal-boxes, no matter howthe cup or drippan is supported, all that is necessary being to drill ahole into the box and insert a iube, G, inclosing a wick, one end ofwhich connects with an oilcup or drip-pan. Two forces act to elevate ordraw the oil into the journal-box viz., capillary attraction and themotion of the journal, which causes a partial vacuum in the upper partofthe wick tube or tubes, or in that part ot' the wick-tube which entersthe box. The rapidity with which the oil is supplied to the journal maybe regulated by the compactness with which the wick is pressed into thetube. It' the wick be pressed in hard and compact the supply of oil tothc journal will be much slower than when the wick is put in loosely.

Having described my improved device for oilingjournal boxes or bearings,what I claim therein as of my invention, and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is

l. The combination, withthe box of ajournal or bearing, of a tube ortubes, G, and wick or wicks c, substantially as and for the purposes setforth.

2. The combination, with the oil-cup or drippan and lower half, A, ot'ajournal box or bearing, of a hollow supporting-stem, D, and wick c,substantially as set forth.

JOSEPH F. LIGHT.

Witnesses THos. H. DODGE, J. HENRY HILL.

